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Going Green? 12 Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Food, Water and Energy Nexus

Note:Superstorm Sandy’s devastating impact has served as a climate change wake-up call, as noted by Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and just about everyone but Donald Trump, but none more pointedly than Bill McKibben. This unprecedented storm should also push us to take a closer look at our food, water and energy systems and evaluate how to meet our needs sustainably while incorporating the resiliency necessary to bounce back after future disruptions. This is something for all levels of government to consider – local, state and federal alike. In regards to the latter, President Barack Obama, Congress and federal agencies should swiftly but thoughtfully produce a road map to guide and better coordinate the nation’s food, water and energy policy in a manner buttressed by the pillars of sustainability and resiliency.

But what can you or I do?

There are countless ways through which we as individuals can lessen our impact on the earth. While the range of options is long and can be daunting the oft-repeated good advice is to tackle a few actions at a time. But which ones?

In the US and around the world, our food, water and energy systems are under tremendous strain (e.g. drought and its impact on all three) and are often in conflict with one another where they intersect – the nexus. Poor policy making and reckless management of resources are partly responsible, but so too are the everyday choices we make as consumers.

So we encourage you to get to know the nexus and take actions that help reduce the pressure on, and ease the tensions among, our food, water and energy systems. This nexus line-of-attack is a great way to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to going green.

The nexus approach is premised on the fact that food, water and energy are essential to civilization. In a nutshell:

We use a lot of water.

We use a lot of energy.

We grow – and eat – a lot of food.

We use a lot of water to produce energy.

We use a lot of energy to move and treat water.

We use a lot of water and energy to produce our food.

In some cases, we unwisely use food crops to make energy.

While complex, the nexus is essentially the water in our food and energy, the energy in our food and water AND the food in our energy and water. Factored into this basic way of describing the nexus is the pollution produced by and associated with our food, water and energy systems which can harm the environment and deplete and degrade the natural resources that support the three systems, our economy and society in general.

This profound interconnection – also known as the food, water and energy nexus – is emerging as a critical issue for government officials, business leaders and the public.

There is growing understanding that food, water and energy security – as well as ecological security – are most effectively achieved together rather than individually.

Many factors contribute to the increased pressure on the three systems: population growth, economic growth, ecological degradation, climate change, policy and resource management decisions, and consumer choices .

Suggested Actions:

Here are just a few things you can do to ensure that our food, water and energy systems operate more efficiently and much more in sync with one another:

Install a solar hot water system to replace or supplement your fossil-fueled water heater. Given the environmental impacts of fossil fuel extraction, transportation and consumption, reducing your usage of fossil fuel can help protect the natural resources and ecosystems that support our food, water and energy systems.

Choose water options that are energy-friendly (and food-friendly).

Saving water saves energy. By using less water at home – e.g. by taking shorter showers and repairing leaks right away – you will be sending less wastewater to treatment plants. Since wastewater treatment is an energy-intensive operation, less water being treated means less energy being consumed. Also, using less water from the local municipal system or reusing water means less water that needs to be transported to your home which, in some parts of the country like California, requires a lot of energy.

Reduce your overall consumption. Every product we buy goes through often extensive production and distribution processes before reaching us. These processes include water use which can adversely affect water availability and quality. By reusing and recycling products, you can reduce your indirect water (and energy) use and subsequently lessen your negative impact on water resources which, in turn, can adversely affect food and energy production.

Avoid purchasing bottled water. The Pacific Institute estimates that in 2006, the production of plastic bottles (for bottled water) for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation. (The Pacific Institute also found that the process of bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and that it takes three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water.)

Eat less meat. Animal production requires large volumes of water for livestock feed, drinking water and maintenance. Beef can be the biggest culprit. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water can go into a single pound of beef; that’s far above the water requirements of vegetables and grains. (In addition to reducing your water footprint and decreasing your impact on the nexus, eating less meat can improve your health.)

This list of suggestions, while not exhaustive, can help you play a key role in reducing the tensions within the nexus which can enhance food, water, energy and ecological security. (Oh and by the way, many of these actions can also help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint!)

Can you think of more ways to reduce tension in the nexus? Share them in the comments section below!

Energy has always been essential for the production of food. Prior to the industrial revolution, the primary energy input for agriculture was the sun. As a result of the industrialization and consolidation of agriculture, food production has become

From New York to Ohio and beyond, Superstorm Sandy brought climate change and the nexus into millions of our homes and lives like never before. As the cleanup and recovery efforts continue, we’re thinking about how to pitch in - and how food, water a

We’re experiencing the food, water and energy nexus first-hand. The worst drought since 1956 might produce significant impacts on food and fuel prices and could cause urban water supplies in some US regions to dry up.

Ecocentric’s Kyle Rabin is moderating a panel at the Brooklyn Food Conference today on the interrelated nature of food, water and energy systems, so we thought we’d share some facts with our readers who aren’t able to attend.

Why did oil and gas giant Apache Corporation celebrate their monumental frack job in one case and downplay it in another? In a word: water (and a lot of it). Check out our excellent infographic on hydraulic fracturing’s problematic thirst.

Older power plants are addicted to water, but changing weather patterns and increasing demands are making water more scarce and putting these outdated plants at risk. Can the power industry kick its water habit?

Many older thermoelectric power plants require tremendous amounts of water for cooling. This animation takes you through the process and illustrates why there are such devastating consequences for fish and other aquatic life.

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Responses to "Going Green? 12 Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Food, Water and Energy Nexus"
The views and opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Ecocentric Blog or GRACE Communications Foundation.

mano

02.12.2015

nice artical and good suggestions

mano

02.12.2015

nice artical and good suggestions

William Zaffer

06.26.2014

Great site and good green tips.
Live healthier and green, plus shop local

Veggie

11.14.2012

This is a nice article, and these are all great ideas! However, I think one idea is by far the MOST important here, and that fact may have been brushed over. Let’s consider the dominating impact of American meat consumption on the water, food, energy nexu

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